1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a change-over valve for an air suspension and, more particularly, to a changeover valve for an air suspension system provided with a main air chamber and an auxiliary air chamber used for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some air suspensions systems are provided with a main air chamber formed of a housing and a diaphragm surrounding a shock absorber and an auxiliary air chamber formed of the housing or the like, both chambers being filled with compressed air to provide an air spring. In these air suspension systems, communication between the main and auxiliary air chambers can be afforded and interrupted by a change-over valve.
When both air chambers communicate with each other, such are subjected to the spring action of the air spring to enlarge the volume of the air chamber. As a result, the soft spring constant of the air spring is presented to provide an improved ride. Also, when communication between both air chambers is interrupted, only the main air chamber is subjected to the spring action of the air spring to reduce the volume of the air chamber. As a result, the air spring provides a hard spring constant to improve controllability.
Two types of change-over valves for affording and interrupting communication between the main and auxiliary air chambers are provided, one being a valve body rotatable about the axis and the other being as axially movable valve body. Either of these types are constituted ksuch that the valve body is disposed in a valve base and the valve body is prevented from falling out of the valve base by a member forced into the base. Such prevention of the valve body falling out by the forced member is an attempt to facilitate working of the valve base and the incorporation of the valve body since the diameter of the valve body is relatively small.